The Chemist (band)
Encyclopedia
The Chemist is a four-piece alternative rock
music group from Perth
, Western Australia
formed in 2007.
The Chemist's first gig was a heat in the prestigious Next Big Thing Competition. They won their heat and ended up runners-up in the entire competition.
They've since played at Southbound
, received significant airplay on Triple J
, worked with Luke Steele of the Sleepy Jackson and supported End of Fashion
, Birds of Tokyo
and Sugar Army
.
and Prince
, comparing themselves to Tom Waits
, The Beatles
and Radiohead
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
music group from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
formed in 2007.
History
The Chemist formed when all four members met studying music at university. Initially, the band consisted only of Ben Witt, who brought on Elliot Smith to help him with some songs he had created. Hamish Rahn was asked to perform bass for them, and after a few months James Ireland was accepted into the band on Keyboard.The Chemist's first gig was a heat in the prestigious Next Big Thing Competition. They won their heat and ended up runners-up in the entire competition.
They've since played at Southbound
Southbound (festival)
Southbound is an arts, camping and music festival. A variety of Australian and international artists perform at this event. The festival occurs annually, early January, at the Sir Stewart Bovell Park in Busselton, Western Australia.-History:...
, received significant airplay on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, worked with Luke Steele of the Sleepy Jackson and supported End of Fashion
End of Fashion
End of Fashion are an Australian power pop band from Perth, Western Australia. The band consists of singer and guitarist Justin Burford, guitarist Rodney Aravena, bassist Simon Fasolo, and drummer Mike Hobbs. The group gained mainstream attention with their 2005 single "O Yeah", which reached...
, Birds of Tokyo
Birds of Tokyo
Birds of Tokyo is a four-piece alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia. Their debut album Day One, gained them domestic success with it reaching No. 3 on the AIR Independent Album charts, spending a total of 36 consecutive weeks in the top 10.In 2008, the band released Universes,...
and Sugar Army
Sugar Army
Sugar Army are a three-piece rock band from Perth, Western Australia.-Where Do You Hide Your Toys :Formed in 2005 and receiving a Triple J Next Crop in November 2007. The band received two nominations, "Favourite Newcomer" and "Most Promising New Act", at the 2007 West Australian Music Industry...
.
Music style
The band describes their music as being "like a yo yo. (Which) starts at one place, drops down to another and returns back home." The band is influenced by Billy Holiday, Bob DylanBob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, comparing themselves to Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
.
Members
- Ben Witt – lead vocals, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, keyboard (2007–present) - Elliot Smith – drums (2007–present)
- James Ireland – keyboard (2007–present)
- Hamish Rahn – bass (2007–present)
Albums/EPs
- The Wolves' Howls Shatter the Old Glass Moon - Dirt Diamond Productions (2010)
- "End of July" – 3:05
- "Stars" – 3:17
- "Things Have Changed" – 5:23
- "Don't Look Down" – 3:05
- "Find My Way Home" – 5:47
- Lullabies - Dirt Diamond Productions (2010)
- "Lullaby #1 (Mercy)" – 3:34
- "When The Morning Comes" – 3:14
- "Sweet Dreams" – 2:28
- "As Deep As Death" – 3:04
Singles
- Lullaby #1 (Mercy) - Dirt Diamond Productions (2010)
- "Lullaby #1 (Mercy)" – 3:34